Display devices, commonly known in the industry as “digital picture frames” are well known in the art and are used to display digital images. A digital picture frame includes a display which may, for example, be an LCD type display. The display is generally mounted within a housing having a picture frame type format. In other words, the housing may have a configuration similar to that of a conventional picture frame commonly used to hold and display photographs. The housing of a digital picture frame, in a manner similar to a conventional picture frame, generally includes a stand to allow the digital picture frame to be placed upright on a desk or table so as to facilitate display of the image appearing thereon.
A digital picture frame device typically includes an internal memory apparatus for storing one or more images to be displayed by the device. One or more user interface buttons may also be provided in order to allow a user to select which image stored in memory is to be displayed. In some devices, a user may also choose to have various images that are stored in memory sequentially displayed on the device over selected time intervals. A digital picture frame device also typically includes a power cord which allows the device to be connected to a standard home electrical power outlet in order to supply power to the device.
Images may be transferred to digital picture frame devices in various manners. In one type of digital picture frame device, a connection may be made to a conventional telephone line. Digital image files may then be downloaded to the device via the internet. Accordingly, to download images to this type of digital picture frame, the images must first be uploaded to an internet site. An example of such a digital picture frame device which downloads digital image files from the internet is commercially available from Ceiva Logic, Inc., 9120 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 200, West Hollywood, Calif. 90069.
In another type of digital picture frame device, images may be transferred to the device via memory cards, such as those useable in conjunction with many digital cameras, or from a personal computer via a cable. Accordingly, to download images to this type of digital picture frame device, the images must first be uploaded to a personal computer or acquired by a digital camera device. An example of such a digital picture frame device which downloads digital image files from a memory card or from a personal computer is commercially available from Digi-Frame Inc., 181 Westchester Ave., Port Chester, N.Y. 10573.
In yet another type of digital picture frame device, images may be transferred to the device via memory cards, such as those useable in conjunction with many digital cameras, or to and from the device via a conventional telephone line. An example of such a digital picture frame device is commercially available from Eastman Kodak Company.
As can be appreciated from the above, conventional digital picture frame devices are only capable of displaying images which have already been digitized by a separate device (e.g., a digital camera or a scanner). Accordingly, if it is desired to display an image of an object, e.g., a photograph, on a conventional digital picture frame device, the object must first be scanned (e.g., with a flatbed scanning device) or imaged (e.g., with a digital camera) in a separate image acquisition device. A digital file representative of the acquired image must then be transferred to the digital picture frame device (e.g., via the internet and a telephone line or via a memory card or cable).
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a digital picture frame device which overcomes this problem in that it is capable of displaying an image of an object without the need for a separate image acquisition device.